


The Tale of Two Lovers

by sapphicalexandra



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bending (Avatar), Fluff, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-09 05:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12881352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphicalexandra/pseuds/sapphicalexandra
Summary: Alec and Jace are trapped in a labyrinth, struggling to find a way to get out. Until they found an engraved tomb of two legendary lovers...AKA Avatar: The Last Airbender s02e02 'The Cave of Two Lovers'. Jalec version.





	The Tale of Two Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> Is this going to be a thing? Me rewriting Jalec as my past OTPs? Maybe...  
> Anyway, as you can see this is based on the show/cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the ship AangxKatara.  
> There are two stories weaved in this fic, in the main one Jace and Alec are young, around 13-15, while they're of age in the other one. Just so you know. Also, there are a lot of peculiar aspects in this universe, so whoever doesn't know it, just run with it... (a little help, [this](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/nickelodeon/images/c/c2/Appa.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20101001054434) is the Appa you'll read about)

“Jace, look!” Alec’s voice echoed in the tunnel.

He had been losing hope of ever getting out of that labyrinth, yet there it was...

“We found the exit!” Jace exclaimed, as if on cue, after seeing where Alec had pointed at.

They shared a look of joy, before they rushed towards the door, Appa following right behind them. 

But the door wouldn’t open for how much they strained themselves to push it.

Suddenly, however, they heard an insistent roar and giant feet stomping on the ground.

As much as he disliked being trapped in a dark and suffocating maze, Alec knew that it was nothing compared to what Appa must’ve been feeling. Flying bison surely weren’t meant for the underground.

Appa’s desperation was more than understandable, then, as he used it all to charge the door, and Jace and Alec both shouted in panic before they managed to get out of the way as fast as they could.

 _That_ worked. The round door was pushed until it landed on the ground on the other side, leaving a hole in its place. Jace and Alec quickly passed through it...only to find themselves still in the cave.

“This isn't the exit,” Alec realized in a quiet voice.

Jace had gone ahead. “No,” he said, almost solemnly, surveying the chamber below them. They were on a balcony. “It's a tomb.”

Alec approached the edge, the light of his torch illuminating that wide space. Appa roared in frustration.

They silently climbed down the stairs, until they reached the tomb placed right at the center of the room.

“It must be the two lovers from the legend. That's who's buried here,” Jace suggested.

Alec illuminated the tomb. The stone was engraved with inscriptions and illustrations. A mountain could be seen on the first brick.

And Alec remembered the song that one of the nomads who had led them into those caves had sang to them.

_Two lovers, forbidden from one another,_

_A war divides their people,_

_And a mountain divides them apart._

_Built a path to be together..._

“These pictures tell their story,” Alec said.

Jace looked at him, before they both leaned closer, and Alec started reading.

“They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages...”

***

 _The mountain was his favorite refuge. It was the_ only _place where he could go and be_ away _; from his family, his obligations, the_ war _._

_That time, however, it was already occupied._

_Alexander froze as he spotted the other boy, laying on the grass as if he were in his own home. His first instinct, as was usual for him, was to be annoyed. That was_ his _place._

_When the boy opened one bright blue eye and looked up at him, smiling brighter than the sun, however, Alexander could only be charmed._

***

“The villages were enemies, so they could not be together.”

***

 _“By the spirits, what are you_ doing _here?” Alexander shouted in a whisper, tearing himself away from Jonathan’s surprise-hold._

 _Jonathan shouldn’t be in his village, in his_ house _, while his parents were right next door, and anyone could..._

_“Are you not happy to see me?” Jonathan asked, putting on a pout that he knew Alexander wouldn’t be able to resist._

_Alexander averted his eyes. “No, I’m_ not _.”_

_But Jonathan had already inched closer towards him, a smirk opening on his face that reminded Alexander of the cat about to catch the mouse. When Jonathan placed his hands on his waist and drew him towards himself, however, Alexander was all to happy to let himself be caught._

_Jonathan’s lips tasted better than any festivity’s meal, any water after a long day of work, or any other single thing in the world. Alexander kissed them with all the abandon he would ever allow himself, and Jonathan responded in equal measure. They opened their mouths to deepen the kiss, their tongues touching each other in the warmest of greetings, and a moan was already building at the back of Alexander’s throat._

_“Alexander, dinner is on the table!” came his mother’s warning, followed by footsteps approaching the door._

_They broke apart with stifled gasps, and Alexander quickly grabbed Jonathan’s arms to push him towards the window he had come in from._

_“I’m coming, mother!” he shouted back._

_Jonathan was already on the other side of the window, and Alexander had meant to simply tell him goodbye, but he was pulled by the lapels of his shirt into another kiss. Or more than one._

_“Go, go,” he murmured against Jonathan’s lips._

_Jonathan disappeared into the night._

***

“But their love was strong, and they found a way. The two lovers learned earthbending from the badger-moles. They became the first earthbenders. They built elaborate tunnels, so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth.”

***

_Legends had always been whispered in their two villages, about their ancestors having received the power to move the earth from giant lion-turtles. However, knowledge had been lost of how to use it..._

_Nobody, apparently, had ever thought to look at their animal neighbors. Badger-moles were_ known _for their ability to build their own tunnels, so why not try asking for_ their _help?_

_Alexander had to admit that he had been skeptic when Jonathan had first suggested that...yet, learning earthbending truly turned out to be the best decision they’d ever made. Looking at the animals’ movements, they tapped into their dormant, inner powers, until the earth responded to them like an extended limb._

_Creating a Labyrinth under the mountain where they’d first met was the next logical step._

_Alexander now walked through the tunnels with lightness in his steps, secure in the knowledge of who he’d find at the center of the maze._

_And there he was, indeed._

_Jonathan was waiting for him in a secret chamber, and Alexander didn’t waste time. He ran towards him, catching him in a hug before raising him from the ground and spinning him around in joy. The sound of their laughter was the sole to be heard in the room._

_“Someone’s happy,” Jonathan teased him._

_“I love you,” Alexander could only respond._

_And he drew him in for a kiss, not parting from it even as they lowered themselves on the ground._

_Making love in the darkness felt like a balm to their souls._

***

“But one day one of them didn’t come. The other, left behind, had a terrible presentiment, and he rushed towards his village. He had been right. His lover was about to be killed, caught in the conflict between their people. To save him, the man unleashed a terrible display of his earthbending power. He could have destroyed them all. But, instead, he declared the war over.”

***

_“Leave him alone!” Alexander shouted to the man who had a sword at his lover’s throat._

_The man turned around, and Alexander recognized him as his old teacher. But he couldn’t care. Stomping his foot on the ground, a block of earth sprung from it and hit the man, throwing him away from Jonathan._

_Jonathan stared back at him in shock, and only that could’ve brought Alexander to notice that the other soldiers surrounding them had seen his display. But he was done playing games._

_Alexander spread out his arms, focusing all his energy on the ground beneath him, until it started to_ tremble _. Until the entire_ village _was quaking. People started shouting in fear. The ones surrounding Alexander were running away form him, but he didn’t let them. He trapped their feet in the earth._

_By that point, Jonathan had risen, too. With their combined powers, they separated enemy from enemy, trapped the ones who wanted to escape, brought the entire village, friends and foes, to its knees._

_Then, after rising themselves on pedestals from where everyone could see them, they stopped. The crowd below stared at them in a mix of fear and awe._

_“This conflict has gone on for too long,” Alec spoke loudly. “Can’t you see who is standing right next to you? A mother. A father. A sibling. A friend. A_ lover _.”_

 _“We’re all the same,” Jonathan continued. “Do you really want to spend the rest of your lives killing each other, and for what...a piece of_ land _?”_

 _Alexander looked at Jonathan with a light in his eyes, before he addressed the people again. “I love this man, and he loves me. I don’t care that he’s supposed to be my enemy. I..._ we _chose love. But we love our homes, too. Our families. We don’t want to abandon it, nor either of you. So the choice is up to all of you. Do you want to walk the light with us and be able to build a better future?”_

***

“Both villages helped the two lovers build a new city where they would live together in peace. The great city became a monument to their love.”

***

_“Not bad, is it?” Jonathan asked in a low, teasing voice, sneaking up behind Alexander on the balcony and wrapping his arms around his middle._

_Alexander placed his hands over his husband’s, his lips curling up in a smile as he admired the city below them._

_“Indeed. I wouldn’t mind living here forever, what do you say?” he asked him._

_Jonathan placed a kiss at the base of his neck. “My answer could only ever be yes, my love.”_

_Alexander smiled more._

***

Alec had reached the last brick, and stopped reading. He met Jace’s eyes for a moment, before they both turned around and found themselves in front of a statue as tall as the ceiling. The two lovers, kissing.

“Love is brightest in the dark,” Alec whispered with clear awe in his voice, reading the inscription between the two figures.

They both kept staring at the statue for a few long moments.

“How are we gonna find our way out of these tunnels?” Jace finally, worriedly, broke the silence.

“I have a crazy idea,” Alec started, his heart starting to hop in his chest.

“What?” Jace asked.

Alec paused, before averting his eyes. “Never mind,” he chuckled, “it's too crazy.”

“Alec, what is it?” Jace pressed on, turning further towards him.

“I – I was thinking, the curse says we'll be trapped in here forever unless we trust in love.”

“Right,” Jace agreed.

“And here it says, 'love is brightest in the dark'...” Alec reluctantly went on, “and has a picture of them kissing...”

“Where are you going with this?” Jace asked, still confused.

“Well, what if we...kissed?” Alec couldn’t help but look at Jace then, and he knew, he _knew_ that he was blushing helplessly.

Jace’s eyebrows shot up, his face morphed by shock. “Us, _kissing_?”

Alec’s heart sank, and he turned around again, crossing his arms. “See? It _was_ a crazy idea.”

“ _Us_ , kissing...” Jace repeated.

Alec started chuckling. “Us, kissing. What was I thinking? Can you imagine _that_?”

He dared sneak a glance at Jace again, and Jace immediately started laughing, too. “Yeah...I definitely wouldn't wanna kiss you!”

Jace made a horrified face, as if he had only just caught up with what had come out of his mouth.

Too late. Alec scoffed, trying to mask the biting disappointment gripping his insides. “Oh, _well_ , I didn't realize it was such a _horrible_ option. Sorry I suggested it!” he barked.

“No, no, I mean,” Jace took a step forward, his arms raised in surrender, “if there was a choice between kissing you and dying...”

Alec’s eyes widened, and he turned away from Jace. “Ah!” a sound of outrage escaped his lips.

“What?” Jace asked, alarm clear in his voice. “I'm saying I'd rather kiss you than die. That's a compliment!”

Alec was positively furious now. He had already known that there was no chance that the _Avatar_ would ever choose _him_ , but as he was the one who had saved Jace from the ice and who was following him through all the Nations to help him fulfill his purpose, he should at least deserve some _decency_ , shouldn’t he?!

“Well, I'm not sure which I would rather do!” Alec burst out, before shoving the torch in Jace’s hands and stepping away, starting to make his way towards the chamber’s exit.

(He didn’t hear Jace saying crossly to himself, “What is _wrong_ with me?”)

And they resumed walking through the tunnels in utter silence, Appa following them with heavy steps, his giant head dangling on the ground.

When, suddenly, Jace stopped, looking at the small flame left on the torch. “We're gonna run out of light any second now, aren't we?”

Alec sighed. “I think so.”

It was hopeless. How could they have found themselves in such a hopeless situation? Right, the _nomads_.

“Then what are we gonna _do_?” Jace asked him, his eyes wide. They were still shining, though, like they always seemed to do.

Alec made up his mind. He took a step forward and placed his hand over the one Jace had curled around the torch. “What _can_ we do?”

The light kept flickering and flickering, dying down by the second, and Alec could only lean forward. He was surprised to see that Jace did that, too, not really looking like someone who was minding the situation like it had seemed earlier...

Everything was dark when Alec’s lips met Jace’s. It lasted only a moment, yet it felt like a lifetime. Alec doubted he’d ever forget the feel of it, and the slightly salty taste that was so purely _Jace_. When they opened their eyes again, there was light, and Alec could see his own reflection in Jace’s pupils.

There was _light_.

They both shot their heads up towards the ceiling, looking, amazed, at the series of bright blue lights that followed the length of the tunnel.

“They’re some kind of crystals,” Jace said. “They must only light up in the dark!”

They were still holding hands above the spent remnants of the torch, but Alec didn’t even think of it as he kept on trying to find an explanation, “ _That's_ how the two lovers found each other...they just put out their lights and followed the crystals!”

They both traced the path with their eyes, and Alec pointed forward.

“That must be the way out!” he shouted. 

And they both laughed, elated, _overjoyed_ at their imminent salvation. Still without thinking, Alec turned back towards Jace and hugged him tightly.

Spirits, had he really just _kissed_ Jace?

They quickly let go.

“So, um...” Jace murmured, not looking him in the eyes.

“Let's go!” Alec said, before he started running towards the exit.  

He heard Appa follow right back, then Jace, and they were _out_ in no time.

The light of day had never looked so good, fresh air had never been so...fresh. Appa roared in happiness and slumped on the ground on his back, completely spent. Jace and Alec laughed.

Jace then looked around. “What about Izzy?”

Before Alec could say anything, there was a sudden _blast_ , and they covered their eyes as a giant badger-mole emerged from the mountain behind them. On top of it...

“Izzy!” Alec exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.

Izzy slid down along the badger-mole hairy side, and she quickly ran towards them. “How did you guys get out?!”

“Just like the legend says,” Jace said, shrugging, not without sneaking a glance at Alec, “we let love lead the way.”

Alec stayed silent.

“Really?” Izzy looked pointedly at Alec, raising a surprised eyebrow. _Damn_ _little sisters_. “We let huge ferocious beasts lead our way,” she explained with a cocky smile.

They turned around to look at the nomads get on the ground just as well, before they all waved at the badger-moles as the beasts went back inside the mountain.

Then Alec hugged Izzy in relief, while Jace went to greet the others.

“Why is your forehead all red?” Alec asked her, frowning.

Right then, one of the nomads approached them, saying covertly, “Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you...I think that kid might be the Avatar.”

Izzy smacked her forehead so hard that the redness only increased. Alec forced himself not to laugh. _That_ explained it. Surely, her analytically-minded sister must’ve had a lot of... _fun_ , with free spirited nomads.

“So, are you guys gonna come to the city with us?” Alec heard Jace ask them.

“Nope,” they simply replied.

“Okay.” Jace chuckled.

“Thanks for everything,” Izzy told the nomad that was still with them.

“Izzy, I hope you learned a little something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey,” he said in his usual cryptic voice, as he hugged her.

And Alec amusedly watched Izzy squirm in the hug, clearly touched, before she let go. “Just play your songs,” she said between gritted teeth.

“Hey, good plan!” the nomad exclaimed. Then he joined his companions, and started to sing, “ _Even if you're lost, you can't lose the love because it's in your heart_...”

Alec, Jace and Izzy watched them leave in silence. At the corner of his eyes, Alec noticed Izzy glance at him meaningfully again...then Jace did the same. Alec felt himself blush.

Maybe that _was_ the start of something?

**Author's Note:**

> You can thank @lightwoodizm on tumblr for the happy twist to the 'past' story, the original version didn't go exactly like that, but i made a promise to cheer it up ;)


End file.
